Irena Spazzapan

I grew up in a part of Italy that is culturally not quite Italy, in a family that is not quite from anywhere. Somehow borders (and rules) have always been a fluid concept for me, from throwing skis over the fence to another country to catch a train, to cycling across the border through closed crossings after late night teenage parties.

This is perhaps why I have been captivated by energy from early on: the global nature of energy markets and its complex supply chains remain a constant source of learning and curiosity.

When I first visited a power plant in my early 20s, I was hooked by the technical complexity and possibilities for technological innovations in energy infrastructure. In over a decade on the commodities trading floor at Goldman Sachs I had the privilege of working intensely with global gas and power asset owners and risk managers. Two decades on, few things remain more exciting for me than understanding how electrons are generated, traded, stored and instantly moved around when you switch on the light, and how new technology platforms can connect billions of grid connections.